Pearl to get new retail tenants

Two local retailers have secured space at one of the new construction projects at the Pearl Brewery that is set to open in the fourth quarter of this year.

Custom guayabera maker Dos Carolinas and Lee Lee Loves Shoes, a boutique women's shoe store, are set to open at the Pearl's Lab Building as soon as the project is complete, ownership at both businesses confirmed.

Officials at the Pearl did not return a request for comment.

It will be Dos Carolinas' first retail location in San Antonio, said Caroline Matthews, the owner. The business currently has its manufacturing plant with a showroom at 127 W. Carolina St. Matthews said she will keep that location for manufacturing but move the retail operation to the Pearl. The store will occupy about 840 square feet there, according to the city's Development Services website.

Matthews opened her first retail location in Houston last month.

Her decision to open a retail spot in San Antonio had to do with the company's growth, which is about 20 percent year over year. And when the Pearl approached her about space at the campus she thought it would be a good move, Matthews said.

“It's got so large that we can't handle the retail within facility anymore. It's an intrusion,” she said. “We're excited about the space.”

Lee Lee Loves Shoes has plans to close its Alamo Heights location at 5932 Broadway to open at the Pearl, co-owner Sherry Leeper said. The business will move into a 1,030-square-foot space there, according to the Development Services website.

The company's move to the campus will broaden its customer base and fits with the Pearl's strategic push to attract local businesses, Leeper said.

The San Antonio Area Foundation also has plans to move into 18,000 square feet of space at the Lab Building, according to Express-News archives.